American parents are far more concerned about their children’s careers than whether they marry or have children. That’s according to a new Pew Research Centre survey published in January. It shows that just one-fifth of parents consider it ‘extremely’ important for their children to marry or have kids, while nearly half say that these things are ‘not at all’ important. By contrast, 88 per cent of parents consider it vital that their children become ‘financially independent’ and ‘have jobs or careers they enjoy’.